There is something wonderful about challenges, problems, chaos. Whether it’s financial problems, relationship challenges, or chaos that happens in the world - they all have something valuable.

Simply put, that’s the inevitable part of life.

Life has always happened, it’s always happening, and it will always continue to happen regardless if you exist or not.

So what does that mean for you?

It means that you have to become aware of yourself.

Your inner world.

Because it all stems out - problems, challenges, conflict, chaos, etc. - not from the outside world but from the inner. It’s YOUR response to the stimuli (the outside world).

You have the power to do either one. Create more problems or defuse them and act in accordance of your desired state.

That power lies in choice. The ability to choose.

Every action has a reaction. This is one of the basic universal laws. What goes up must come down. As within so without.

When a stimuli from the outside world happens (action), most people respond immediately (reaction), forgetting that there is gap in between the two.

The gap I call awareness.

Lets say your loved one comes home from a difficult day of work and starts going off on you about the things he or she doesn’t like at the house. This is a stimuli.

It instantly triggers you and you may respond with a series of sentences defending yourself or finding fault in your partner.

In the end, you are both shouting at each other which leads to unpleasantness.

Now, that you know there is a gap (awareness) you can choose how you want to respond. Understanding that if I respond with the same energy it’s not going to go well, but if I respond from awareness, knowing he or she must of had a difficult day at work therefore I am going to greet my loved one with appreciation, love, and open arms. Then, you will quickly diffuse what could of been a deadly bomb of emotions exploding on each other.

This changes the whole dynamic of the relationship.

It can be applied in your everyday life at any given moment.

Which leads us to:

EGO - I AM

Understanding the definition of ego and applying it with awareness can be a transformational process.

The thing that most people get confused with ego is that it’s a bad thing.

It’s not.

Ego has been lost in translation, especially in the west. When you think of ego you probably think of someone muscling their way through without much consideration for others.

You may also use the phrase as “having a huge EGO”.

To make the definition of ego clear, I will use the latin translation as well as Patanjali’s definition.

Ego translated from latin simply means “I” or “ I am”. This can be many different things because that is exactly what you are in this materialistic world.

Patanjali’s definition of ego is ones sense of self.

• I am a basketball player.

• I am a son.

• I am a brother.

• I am Lithuanian.

• I am American.

• I am a male

• I am a female

• I am a doctor.

• I am a psychologist.

• I am a mother/father.

• I am black, white, hispanic…

• I am a business person.

• etc.

If you think about your own sense of self you will see the different characters that you play throughout the day without even noticing.

Some characters we drop and adopt new ones. Ultimately, ego is the different types of “masks” you use throughout your life.

In a work setting you might be in your business person ego. When meeting with friends you switch to an ego of a friend. At home, again, you switch to a husband, wife, dad, mom…

You’re starting to understand.

Where problems, challenges, or difficulties start to arise is when one gets stuck in

EGOISM.

Now that you know ego is simply different characters that you play throughout your life, let’s move on to the solution of problems.

Egoism is when you are attached to a certain character and not letting go of it.

Lets take an athlete, basketball player in this case, who is also trying to become a business man. It requires a certain type of ego to be a basketball player. First of all, the apparel is basketball shorts and a cutoff shirt, as well as basketball shoes.

If you are competitive, confident, you may also do some trash talking. Therefore, as a basketball player, your communication is also a certain way on the court.

Now, imagine that same person attached to a basketball player’s ego is going to a business meeting that requires to close out a deal.

Basketball player, stuck in his ego wears the same clothes, shorts, cutoff shirt, and basketball shoes, to a business meeting.

Try to imagine what that would look like.

Better yet, since he is a competitive and confident player, starts talking trash to the person he is trying to do business with.

You can probably imagine how that business deal would end.

That’s egoism.

Problems arise when we loose the fundamental sense of self: I am awareness.

When you are able to live your every day life juggling your different egos and at the same time not getting attached to it, you will realize that in this thing called life, everything is just a game.

However, if you respond with “How dare you, I am CEO, vice president, doctor, etc…” then you simply end up causing problems for yourself because that is not how everyone else perceives.

The problem is not about ego but it’s about attachment to a character that no longer serves.

Being a husband, wife, mom, dad - when you are at home and not bringing your CEO ego home, that’s the game.

The beauty of life is to learn how to ride the wave.

The ability to adapt, learn, and implement ways that serves you and let go of the things that don’t.

Solution to all problems is realizing the fundamental sense of self.

Thats ChitLife.